Chairs

ABSTRACT

This invention relates to chairs of the kind comprising a rigid base and a combined seat and back member of roughly hemispherical shape that is detachably securable to the base. According to this invention, the seat and back member comprises a layer of a plastics material which is moulded in the flat to a generally circular shape to consist of a plurality of panels radiating from a central area to which they are secured. These panels are separated from each other by slots and, on the underside of each member, there is one or more clips arranged to engage over a circular supporting member on the base. The panels may have a radially outwardly located rib to hide the clip or clips. In one particular embodiment, the radiating panels are formed like the petals of a flower: the plain central area is eccentric with respect to the circle circumscribing the peripheries of the panels and forms the seat portion.

United States Grosiiliex CHAIRS Inventor: Raymond E. Grosfillex,

France Assignee: Grosfillex S.A.R.L., Arbent, France Filed: Feb. 8, 1971 Appl. No.: 113,349

Arbent,

Foreign Application Priority Data Feb. 11, 1970 France ..7004854 US. Cl ..297/445, 297/458 Int. Cl ..A47c 7/00, A47c 7/20 Field of Search ..297/445, 455-458 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS I 10/1962 Grossfillex ..29-7/457 X 12/1961 Mauser ..297/445 4/1965 Rogalski et al. ..297/445 X 5/1966 Shapiro ..297/445 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS l/l96l Norway ..297/457 Primary Examiner-Casmir A. Nunberg AttorneyErnest A. Greenside [5 7] ABSTRACT This invention relates to chairs of the kind comprising a rigid base and a combined seat and back member of roughly hemispherical shape that is detachably securable to the base. According to this invention, the seat and back member comprises a layer of a plastics material which is moulded in the flat to a generally circular shape to consist of a plurality of panels radiating from a central area to which they are secured. These panels are separated from each other by slots and, on the underside of each member, there is one or more clips arranged to engage over a circular supporting member on the base. The panels may have a radially outwardly located rib to hide the clip or clips. in one particular embodiment, the radiating panels are formed like the petals of a flower: the plain central area is eccentric with respect to the circle circumscribing the peripheries of the panels and forms the seat portion.

5 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures CHAIRS The present invention relates to chairs similar both in use and general appearance to those which comprise a substantially hemispherical shell, forming both the seat and the back, supported by a frame and the edge of which defines a nominally descending surface.

In the majority of known chairs of this kind, the shell is produced by moulding a rigid or semi-rigid plastics material and the support comprises a metal framework to which the edge of the shell is fixed.

The main drawback of such known chairs is that the mould for making the shell is bulky and very costly.

Another drawback. is that the chairs are very bulky which presents difficulties both in storing and transporting and makes the whole proposition very uneconomic in present day circumstances.

It is therefore an object of the invention to overcome these'drawbacks, whereby chairs of the general kind referred to may readily be neatly stacked for storing and transporting without sacrificing their stability and comfort. It is a further objectto make these chairs with a decorative and pleasing appearance.

The invention consists .in a chair comprising a rigid base and a combined seat and back member detachably related thereto, said seat and back member comprising a layer of plastics material which is of generally circular shape and consisting of a plurality of panels radiating from a central point, to whichthey are secured, and separated laterally one from the other by slots, said radiating panels resting with their peripheries on a substantially circular support member forming part of said base and each said radiating panel having on its under surface, at least one assembly member moulded therewith to fit resiliently over said circular support member of said base.

The radiating panels are advantageously shaped like the petals of a flower.

The layer is of plastics material and is preferably manufactured flat, so that the mould for making it is much less bulky than that used for making the shells of the prior art and its joining plane is itself flat over the greater part of its size.

Under these circumstances, it is less costly and the event of its breaking is less than with chairs of the generalbasic type as previously made.

Moreover, it is possible to locate in a first mould part the most costly means such as those defining the said assembly members, those provided for a good injection of the plastics material, and those positioned for the injection of each layer obtained, whereby the second mould part only needing to be an impressing die to form the pattern on the top of the layer. For this reason, the second part of the mould is relatively less troublesome to manufacture and in any way its price represents only a small fraction of the whole mould. Thus, since the selling price of the chairs can be kept quite small, the customers can be offered a large range of models of chairs which can be fitted to a standardbase. Thus, the manufacturers may keep a large number of different seat/back members of different design in stock.

Moreover, since the plain central part of the layer from which the panels radiate is ofiset with respect to the periphery, and since the injection conduit for the first part of the mould may open out in the center of this plain central part (by using an off-center heating conduit known per se), there can very easily be obtained in the material of the layer veins which themselves radiate,'and these may be of different colors by carefully introducing, during injection, at least one color different from that of the remainder.

Advantageously, the base framework is made to fold flat in any desired fashion not per se forming part of this invention, in which case, since both the plastics layer and the base framework are capable of being placed flat, their storage, packaging, transport and supply to the customer can be carried out on a small scale and at a low price. Moreover, because the chairs can be assembled very easily and quickly, the customer himself can do this without difficulty.

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which show one embodiment thereof by way of example, and in which:

FIG. I shows a perspective view showing a chair in accordance with the invention,

FIG. 2 shows a plan view of the flat plastics material layer before fitting to the base frame, and

FIG. 3 shows a partial section taken on a much larger scale along the line III-III of FIG. 2.

As shown in FIG. 1, the chair comprises a rigid base framework 1 and a member 2 forming a seat and back member which is placed on and held in shape by this base and can be shaped to a substantially hemispherical geometrical form.

The base 1 is advantageously made from metal tubes, steel for example, which are welded at their junction points, and these tubes may have a circular, oval, square, rectangular or any other section. Preferably, the metal base frame is adapted to be able to be folded fiat in a manner known per se but, if desired, the base may be of any other type: for example, it can be formed by a solid or hollow rigid member.

The base 1 of the embodiment comprises a rod 3 bent to a substantially circular shape and extending in a flat plane which is inclined towards the ground in front of the chair. This rod is most frequently, as is shown on FIG. I, a metal tubular ring but, where the base is a solid or hollow rigid member, it may be formed as the upper edge of such base.

The member 2 comprises a layer 4 formed of plastics material moulded in the flat condition, as will be evident from FIG. 2 which more clearly discloses its particular shape and pattern. The layer 4 has a plain central part 5 although this part may be perforated, if desired, for it forms a non-expandable, retractable or deployable junction which is generally at the area of the seat of the chair.

The layer also has radiating panels 6 securely connected to the plain central part 5 and separated from each other by slots 7, preferably triangular; the radiating panels are thus independent over their entire extent but are, nevertheless, connected by their central end to the plain central part so that the member 2 can be considered to be a single part.

These radiating panels 6 are different in length,

longer towards, the back than towards the front. Conresembling flower petals which gives the chair, when assembled, a very pleasing appearance.

In addition, the slots 7 have an angular opening dependent on the effect required. If the petals 6 of the shaped member 2 (FIG. I) are required to be separated, the slots are wider than if they are to overlap at their edges.

It may be advantageous in order to improve the comfort to curve the free ends 8 of the radiating panels 6 inwardly as shown in FIG. 3, i.e. in a concave manner on the side of the inner surface of the layer 4 which faces the base 1.

Each of the radiating panels 6 projects on its inner surface and close to its free end 8, over one of the cooperating members of at least one assembly member for assembling the seat portion to the base 1.

In the embodiment shown in the drawing, one of the members of each assembly means is formed by the tubular rod 3 of the base, the member of the seat cooperating with the rod 3 is a clip 9 moulded with the layer 4 and having a general C-section. The clip has lips 9a and 9b which are resiliently deformable and define a passage 10, the width of which is slightly less than the inner diameter of a recess 11 defined by the said clip for the rod 3.

Each radiating panel is formed in the example chosen with two clips 9, but it will be apparent that it may only have one or more than two thereof, suitably distributed.

It is a simple matter to fit the clips 9 of all the radiating panels 6 resiliently over the rod 3 by positioning them suitably on the latter so that, when the layer 4 is mounted, it can be shaped to fit the member 2.

The radiating panels 6 project radially beyond the clip 9, and a rib 12 extends over a sufficient height to conceal these latter and the rod 3.

It will also be apparent that'the layer 4 having the radiating panels 6 may be moulded in shape and delivered substantially flat or together with the rod 3, without feet, if desired.

Iclaim:

1. A chair comprising a rigid base having a substantially circular support member, a combined seat and back member detachably related thereto, said seat and back member comprising a substantially planar layer of flexible plastic material formed with a plurality of radial panels the outer, extremities of which define a generally circular shape, said radial panels being spaced from one another and radiating from a core section which is offset with respect to the generally circular shape assumed by the outer extremities of said panels, said seat and back member for assuming seat and back shapes being connected at radially outer end portions of said panels to said circular support member of said base, each of said panels being provided for this purpose with at least one resilient fastening means on its under surface for fastening each panel to said circular support member, said seat and back member when removed from said base assuming a substantially planar shape. I

2. A chair according to claim 1, wherein said peripheral end of at least some of said radial panels is curved inwardly in a concave manner towards its inner surface.

3. A chair according to claim 1, wherein each radial panel has a rib projecting from its inner surface adjacent the periphery thereof, to canceal said fastening 

1. A chair comprising a rigid base having a substantially circular support member, a combined seat and back member detachably related thereto, said seat and back member comprising a substantially planar layer of flexible plastic material formed with a plurality of radial panels the outer extremities of which define a generally circular shape, said radial panels being spaced from one another and radiating from a core section which is offset with respect to the generally circular shape assumed by the outer extremities of said panels, said seat and back member for assuming seat and back shapes being connected at radially outer end portions of said panels to said circular support member of said base, each of said panels being provided for this purpose with at least one resilient fastening means on its under surface for fastening each panel to said circular support member, said seat and back member when removed from said base assuming a substantially planar shape.
 2. A chair according to claim 1, wherein said peripheral end of at least some of said radial panels is curved inwardly in a concave manner towards its inner surface.
 3. A chair according to claim 1, wherein each radial panel has a rib projecting from its inner surface adjacent the periphery thereof, to canceal said fastening means.
 4. A chair according to claim 1, wherein said base is provided with means enabling it to be packed in a substantially flat state.
 5. A chair according to claim 1, wherein said base is of non-collapsible nature and provided with means to receive said circular support member. 